In yet another distressing episode of the migrant workers' quandary over the nationwide lockdown, a migrant labourer's pregnant wife, who walked over 100 km from Punjab's Ludhiana, delivered a girl child after reaching Ambala in Haryana, although the baby died shortly after birth.

migrant workers in shramik trains
migrant workers in shramik trainsIANS

Baby dies soon after delivery 

According to the sources, Bindia and her husband Jatin Ram, who are in their early 20s, had started their journey on foot from Ludhiana last week to reach their native village in Bihar. On Wednesday, May 20, they reached Ambala City when the pregnant woman started developing labour pains and gave birth to a female child. Unfortunately, the baby died immediately after birth.

The baby was the couple's first child who got married two years back. The last rites of the child were performed by the parents in Ambala itself.

Ram has been working as a labourer in a factory in Ludiana. Like most of the other migrant workers who started to head to their home-towns due to the national lockdown, Ram and Bindia too decided to set out on foot. While some of the workers walked all the way back, others hired vehicles to reach Ambala and Yamunanagar to board the special trains.

Ram and his nine-month pregnant wife decided to walk to Ambala as they did not get registration in the special trains. They also thought of possibly saving money for future travel expenses.

migrant labourers

Police helps the couple 

Since Bindia could not get a proper diet required by a pregnant woman, she grew much tired and weak, said Ram.

When they reached Ambala City, from Ludhiana, after walking for over 100 km, Bindia started developing labour pain and the police helped Ram take her to a civil hospital. She delivered the child there but the baby did not survive.

An NGO at Ambala Cantonment has made arrangements for their stay and provided them food. The organisation also assured the couple on the arrangements it would make for their safe travel in a Shramik Special train to Bihar.